1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an information terminal and an information communication system, capable of acquiring/distributing information via information lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, information communication systems capable of simultaneously communicating both images and voice via the Internet have been gradually utilized. FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram for showing a conventional image terminal and a conventional information communication system. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 200 shows an image terminal, reference numeral 201 indicates a power supply circuit for supplying electric power to the image terminal 200, and reference numeral 202 indicates a controller for controlling the image terminal 200.
Reference numeral 203 represents an image input apparatus corresponding to, for example, a camera used to input an image. Reference numeral 204 shows an image controller. This image controller 204 can change a position (for instance, either enlarging or compressing operations, and either lateral/longitudinal or right/left directions of movement) of a camera of the above-explained image input apparatus 203. Reference numeral 205 shows a wire communication apparatus which is connected to a LAN (for instance, Ethernet (registered trademark)) and corresponds to an interface capable of communicating information inputted into this wire communication apparatus 205. Reference numeral 206 shows a communication cable. Reference numeral 220 indicates a gateway which transmits/receives data of the image terminal 200 via the communication cable 206 with respect to the wire communication apparatus 205.
Also, reference numeral 221 represents an information terminal-“a.” This information terminal-“a” 221 is connected to the gateway 220 by way of a network so as to transmit/receive data. Reference numeral 222 denotes an Internet connection network. Reference numeral 223 shows an information terminal-“b.” This information terminal-“b” 223 is connected via the Internet connection network 222 to the gateway 220 so as to transmit/receive data.
Referring now to FIG. 6, operations of the conventional image terminal and the conventional information communication system will be described. That is, image information and the like captured by a camera and the like is acquired by the image input apparatus 203, and then, this acquired image information of the image input apparatus 203 is connected via the controller 202, the wire communication apparatus 205, and the communication cable 206 to the gateway 220. Also, the information is received by the information terminal-“a” 221 connected to the gateway 220, so that the image information and the like can be displayed on this information terminal-“a” 221. Then, in such a case that both a direction and a dimension (size) of the image information is changed in the information terminal-“a” 221, setting position information corresponding to these changed direction/size is received via the gateway 220 by the wire communication apparatus 205, and thus, desirable image information may be obtained by driving the image controller 204 via the controller 202.
Also, when information supplied from an external source is acquired and set, image information and the like captured by the camera and the like is acquired by the image input apparatus 203, and then, this acquired image information of the image input apparatus 203 is connected via the controller 202, the wire communication apparatus 205, and the communication cable 206 to the gateway 220. Also, the information is received by the information terminal-“b” 223 connected to the gateway 220 via the Internet connection network 222, so that the image information and the like can be displayed on this information terminal-“b” 223. Then, in such a case that both a direction and a dimension (size) of the image information is changed in the information terminal-“b” 223, setting position information corresponding to these changed direction/size is received via the Internet connection network 222 and the gateway 220 by the wire communication apparatus 205, and thus, desirable image information may be obtained by driving the image controller 204 via the controller 202.
However, the conventional image terminal constructed of the monitor camera corresponds to such a system for transmitting information made of only image information. This image terminal may become advantage as a monitor use. Nevertheless, image terminals capable of providing information services to which voice information has been added have been desired.